Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
In 2008, Pulitzer Prize Winner Strout wrote this powerful novel. You may recognize the author's name from her most recent book The Burgess Boys. This book is a collection of thirteen narratives, all revolving around one central character, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, living in picturesque Crosby, Maine.
Easy to envision Olive-a large, out-spoken, imposing woman who has great difficulty accepting the changes in her small town and the world in general. So many sides to Olive; patient, understanding, vulnerable, yet stern and judgmental towards those she loves the most. At times you will hate her and find her actions difficult to tolerate. Then again you may feel her pain and loneliness. In each chapter you will meet the townspeople of Crosby, and what a motley, troubled group they are. Henry is Olive's loyal, long-suffering husband. Adult son Christopher is distant and removed. He blames his mother for his tyrannical upbringing. There is a pianist playing night after night in smoky lounges, haunted by a past love. Meet Kevin, intent on ending it all, finding hope at the most unlikely moment. Chapter after chapter continues to introduce the reader to a myriad of characters with hidden secrets, conflicts, emotional upheaval, yet all possess the will to survive.
While reading this book, I experienced highs and lows. Some of the themes may or may not engage you. However, Olive will linger in your memory as an enduring woman who comes to realize a deeper understanding of herself.
Bet you don't forget her.....
In 2008, Pulitzer Prize Winner Strout wrote this powerful novel. You may recognize the author's name from her most recent book The Burgess Boys. This book is a collection of thirteen narratives, all revolving around one central character, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, living in picturesque Crosby, Maine.Easy to envision Olive-a large, out-spoken, imposing woman who has great difficulty accepting the changes in her small town and the world in general. So many sides to Olive; patient, understanding, vulnerable, yet stern and judgmental towards those she loves the most. At times you will hate her and find her actions difficult to tolerate. Then again you may feel her pain and loneliness. In each chapter you will meet the townspeople of Crosby, and what a motley, troubled group they are. Henry is Olive's loyal, long-suffering husband. Adult son Christopher is distant and removed. He blames his mother for his tyrannical upbringing. There is a pianist playing night after night in smoky lounges, haunted by a past love. Meet Kevin, intent on ending it all, finding hope at the most unlikely moment. Chapter after chapter continues to introduce the reader to a myriad of characters with hidden secrets, conflicts, emotional upheaval, yet all possess the will to survive.
While reading this book, I experienced highs and lows. Some of the themes may or may not engage you. However, Olive will linger in your memory as an enduring woman who comes to realize a deeper understanding of herself.
Bet you don't forget her.....
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